A. Rabies Suspects: Every veterinarian or other person discovering or suspecting any animal to be suffering with rabies should report such fact to the police department and/or health department, giving name and address of the owner of such animal and the license number thereof, if known. If such animal, after examination by the rabies inspector, is verily suspected to be suffering with said disease, the animal shall be immediately placed under observation, in charge of a veterinarian licensed by the state of Illinois, whose establishment is located in Cook County, for a period of not less than ten (10) days for observation. If such animal should die during the interval of observation, the intact brain shall forthwith be delivered to the Illinois department of public health.
B. Animal Bites; Procedures:
1. Procedures: Official procedure for bite cases shall be as follows:
a. When the animal control officer receives information that a person has been bitten by an animal, the animal owner shall be instructed to have the animal examined by his veterinarian within twenty four (24) hours.
b. The responding police officer shall fill out the Cook County or DuPage County animal bite report, whichever is applicable, in full and he shall send this report within twenty four (24) hours to the village public health department and to the appropriate county department of animal control (rabies control center).
c. All animals that bite must be impounded for ten (10) days, following the first veterinary examination, at a facility under the observation of licensed veterinarian, except impoundment at home shall be allowed dependent upon a current rabies vaccination and the ability of the animal owner to strictly confine the biting animal. All stray animals that have bitten must be impounded for observation.
d. Records shall be maintained by the animal control officer for all impounded animals. The record shall include the animal owner's name, address and telephone number, if available, species of breed, color, sex and license or tag number, if available and the time and date impounded.
e. The veterinarian examining the biting animal shall fill out and send, within twenty four (24) hours, the Cook County rabies observation notice to the Cook County department of animal control.
f. Following the examination of the biting animal at the end of the ten (10) days' confinement period, the veterinarian shall complete the Cook County rabies release report and he shall send this report within twenty four (24) hours to the Cook County department of animal control and to the local health department.
2. Exam And Impoundment Costs: The animal owner is responsible for all costs relating to the examination and impoundment of the biting animal.
3. Unlawful Animal Disposal: It is unlawful for the owner of a biting animal to euthanize, sell, give away or otherwise dispose of such animal until it is released by the Cook County animal control administrator or his authorized representative.
4. Violations: Any person having knowledge of a biting animal that has not been properly examined and who does not report this fact to the animal control officer is in violation of this section.
(Ord. 1069, 6-8-1976; amd. 1992 Code)